


Presents and Promises

by pinkstarpirate



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-11-06
Packaged: 2018-02-24 07:19:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2572985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkstarpirate/pseuds/pinkstarpirate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A week.  The first time Haruka goes an entire week without seeing or talking or texting Makoto he stops and gives pause.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Presents and Promises

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bibbay96](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bibbay96/gifts).



A week.  The first time Haruka goes an entire week without seeing or talking or texting Makoto he stops and gives pause.  The last time Haru had been with Makoto was the previous Monday night. The two of them met in the ramen shop they discovered between their two apartments when they first moved to Tokyo.  It was one train stop closer to Haruka’s apartment than Makoto’s.  

Haru blinks and pulls his phone out of his pocket.  This is the same phone his mother had urged him to get because Mako had this model, and because Mako could teach him how to use it.  For a year it sat mostly unused on the table at home in Iwatobi; now he at least keeps it on his person as he travels to and from University and swim practice daily.

Haru clicks to his text messages.  He flips through them and finds the last one that Mako had sent him.   _Thursday, the sixth of November, 12:18_ \-- the Thursday before they had ramen.  Makoto had wished him luck on a test.   Haru hadn’t replied.  That was a week and a half ago.  

Haru doesn’t quite understand why this makes him feel uncomfortable, but it does.  He clicks back through to his other messages and sees one from Gou.  She texts him all the time, just like Nagisa does, and Rei too.  Haru opens the message and sees that Gou reminding him that today is the 17th of November.  Does he know what that means?

No.  Haru doesn’t know what that means.  He texts back.   _“What does that mean?”_

Haru is about to put away his phone again when he sees the light blink.  He checks it again to see Gou’s reply.

_“I worry about you.  You should probably wish someone a happy birthday.”_

Gou also adds in a few exasperated looking emoticons to her message.  She always adds exasperated looking emoticons when texting Haru.  Sometimes he feels half of their conversations are just emoticons being exasperated with him.  

_...wish someone a happy birthday._

Oh.  Now Haru understands why his stomach is turning with unease.  It isn’t like he is all that great with dates or numbers or people.  But this is different.  This is Makoto.  

He clicks back into his messages and quickly types out, _“Happy Birthday.  I’m on my way over.”_

The next train isn’t coming for twenty minutes, so Haru has time to stop at a little shop by the train station.  It is just before closing time, and the elderly owner welcomes Haru warmly as he steps inside.  The store is mostly trinkets and silly gift items, things that middle and  high school students would come and collect to attach to their bags and phones.  Haru glances at some of phone charms, but none of them seem to fit.  They seem to be for someone much younger and much less mature than who Makoto has become.

If Haru had remembered the birthday in any sort of timely manner, he would have made something for Makoto.  He could have done it in his ceramics class, or perhaps his intro to painting course.  Mako’s walls were rather sparse, and Haru likes the idea of putting a piece of his own art on it.  He makes a mental note to still do this for Makoto, and give it to him as a belated present later on, or perhaps for the upcoming holidays.

The old woman behind the counter waves him over.  “Is there something in particular I can help you find?” she asks.  

“It’s my friend’s birthday,” Haru says.  He says it in the normal, flat, matter-of-fact tone he says most things.

“Oh how nice,” the elderly woman replies with a smile.  “I suppose you need something thoughtful for him?  Her?”

“Him,” Haru confirms, and then bends to look at some small crystal figures in a display case.  No.  These aren’t good either.

“How old?” she says.  

“19,” Haru replies easily as he stands to his full height again.

“College student?” she asks, and she has a glint in her eye that says she has an idea.

“Yes.”

The old woman steps back from her counter and pulls out a box from a dusty, lower shelf.  “I like these,” she says as she pulls out a stack of handbound leather notebooks.  The covers are beautifully worked leather with carved and stamped designs.  

She must be able to see the surprise in Haru’s eyes, because she just chuckles quietly and says, “My husband makes them.  But they don’t exactly fit with the rest of the products in our store.  I save them for special occasions like yours.  Or special orders.”

Haru runs his fingers over a small, dark brown book.  The inside is hand-sewn and looks lovely despite the very slight imperfections that mark it as handmade.  The front flap is a landscape, and the intricate impression of the mountain strikes Haru.  He wants to know how to do this.  How to make these.  They are beautiful and exactly what he wants to give Mako.

“How much?” he asks, and pulls out his wallet. He knows that the cost of handmade items like this can vary wildly, especially in Tokyo.

“3500 for any of the smaller ones.  The larger ones are 5500 yen.”

He has enough to cover the cost, and still a little left over if he and Makoto go get ramen to celebrate.  Or find a cake?  Should he get a cake?  

Haru picks up the small, leather notebook with the mountain landscape and hands it to her.  She takes it and his money and she returns with change, and the book wrapped nicely in some dark green paper.

“Tell your friend Happy Birthday,” she says and waves as Haru runs to catch his train.

Haru just makes it in time.  The train pulls up and he wonders if there are any bakeries near Makoto’s apartment, but even if there are, it is getting late.  Would they even be open?  

Three stops later he gets off in a rush of people.  Mako’s apartment is far enough out that Haru doesn’t have to contend with extreme congestion of downtown, but there are still plenty of people heading home after a day at the office or school, even this late.  Haru sees that most of the local shop lights are off, and gives up on the hopes of getting a cake.  He checks his watch and sees that their ramen shop will close in another couple of hours too, and it is open later than most.

Haru reaches Mako’s apartment complex and climbs the stairs quickly.  He hopes that Mako won’t be mad for forgetting, for not making plans.  Haru knocks on the door and waits.  There isn't a reply, so he knocks again.  Perhaps he just beat Mako home.  Mako often stays late to work with classmates in study groups.  It is Monday, does Mako have a study group on Mondays?

Haru leans on Mako’s front door and looks out over the darkened Tokyo sky.  Sometimes he forgets where he is until he looks upward or outward, or anywhere that isn't confined to his own small bubble.  Tokyo is tall and wide, and things like this used to scare Haru, but not anymore. He sees possibility in this world, in a dream he was once too afraid to walk toward.

Coming to Tokyo with Makoto wasn’t originally the plan, but Haru is grateful for the scout from Tokyo who saw him swim at nationals, the one who made it possible to stay at Makoto’s side just a little longer.  He would always be connected to his friend.  Haru would always find comfort in Makoto.

There is a clicking sound from behind him, and Haru moves as the door pushes out.  Mako is standing there looking sleepy and disheveled, his glasses are askew and he pulls them off to wipe sleep from his eyes.

Mako is even too tired for surprise. “Haru?” he asks, forcing his question through a ragged yawn.

“Happy Birthday,” Haru says.

Mako looks confused.  He looks at Haru and then up at nothing as if he is trying to puzzle something out.

“It’s your birthday,” Haru says when he realizes that Mako doesn’t know.

Mako pulls his phone out of his pocket and laughs.  Haru watches as he flips through messages for a moment.  “Oh, yeah, so it is,” he says with a lopsided grin.  

“You forgot?” Haru asks, because Mako always loved his birthday back in Iwatobi.  His parents always had some kind of celebration for him, even if it was just the family and Haru.

“I did,” Mako says as he laughs and reads through texts on his phone.  He stops long enough to step back and motion Haru into the apartment.  “But _you_ didn’t.”

There is an awe in Mako’s voice that Haru feels a little guilty for.  “No, I did,” Haru confesses.  “Gou reminded me.”

Haru toes off his shoes in the entranceway and follows Mako into the small living area.  Mako’s couch and table are covered in books, open and scattered every which way.  Mako isn’t the kind of person to be this disorganized.

Mako moves a stack of books and makes a place for Haru to sit.  “A test, a very important test,” Mako says with an exaggerated sigh.  “One that could make or break my place in my program.  It determines our internships, and I really want to get the best one.”

“The best one?” Haru asks as he flips through an anatomy textbook.  He has a similar book that he uses for art study.

Mako sits in a spot nearest the table, in a place nearly completely blanketed in books.  “Yeah,” he says and rests his head against one of his hands.  “There are two spots for interns to work with the Japan National Team.  I don’t think we get a lot of time with the team itself, but you know…”

Haru does know.  Haru knows that even with all the space between them and the changes in their lives, Mako is working hard to keep them connected, to stay connected to Haru.

“I’ll have to train extra hard for the spring time trials,” Haru says.  He gets the underlying meaning.  Mako is working hard to stay with Haru.  Haru has to work just as hard to stay with Mako.  And Rin.  Rin would be back for the time trials too.  Haru can’t help the small smile that forms on his lips as he thinks about how all three of them could be near one-another again.

Haru leans over and hands Mako the small, wrapped present.  Mako looks surprised, but he can’t help but grin as he begins tearing at the paper.  When he opens it to find the notebook he shakes his head.  “Haru, this is too much.”

“Not enough,” Haru says and again flips through the anatomy book.  Hands, he needs to work on different hand poses next.  His life-drawing needs to improve.

“Plenty,” Mako retorts and runs his fingers reverently over the leather cover.  

“I’m going to paint you something,” Haru says as he stops on page 346 to look over all the tiny bones in the wrist.  “For your apartment.”

Mako laughs.  “Just as long as it isn’t Iwatobi-chan.  I have at least three of your charms in my room, I don’t need a painting too.”

Haru huffs, he likes those carvings.  He doesn’t understand why no one else does.  

“I was thinking about doing a painting of home, of the town and the ocean,” he tells Mako.

Mako is silent, and when Haru looks up he sees Mako wiping at his eyes with a knuckle, and wistful smile on his lips.  “Yeah,” he says quietly.  “I think I’d like a painting of home.”

Haru pulls out a sketch pad out of his bag and starts sketching.  Haru can’t wait to get back to his apartment and see if he has the right colors there for the painting, otherwise, he’ll work on it tomorrow in class.  Mako turns back to the table and begins flipping through a book and makes notes in his normal notebook.

“You should use the one I bought for you,” Haru says.  “It is a notebook, afterall.  Making notes are what notebooks are for.”  

Makoto shakes his head.  “This one is different, Haru.”  But he does take it and unwraps the leather strap keeping it closed.  Mako flips to the first page, writes a single line, and then hands it to Haru to see.

Haru opens the leather book and in Mako’s somewhat sloppy handwriting it simply says, _Rome 2009: Get my passport._

Haru understands.  Underneath what Mako has written, Haru adds in his own, perfect script, _Rome 2009: Get my passport renewed_.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So yes, I am going with the theory (is it still a theory, I'm not even sure anymore) that Free! takes place in the past. So this fic takes place in November of 2008. I hope that you like it, dear bibbay96. I hope this was fluffy enough for you. I'm also taking some rather large leaps with what Makoto's coaching program is like, because I have no idea if he is going to be a pro-coach or a teacher...there just isn't quite enough information out there on that (though I did incorporate a lot of Free! creator interview information in the minor details, like why Haru has the same phone as Mako). And the promise in the end is that Mako will go and either watch, or help out if he gets the internship as a coach, but not swimming (just in case that wasn't clear). I'm positive that even if he isn't involved, Mako will go and watch Haru and Rin's first international competition, and we know that they get there thanks to the end of the anime ;)


End file.
